The Night Before the Assault

(right) What appeared in Hyakume's video feed...?(left) Act 203: The Night Before the Assault

Tsurara: No way...Zen: You've got to be kidding...

[p002]

???: Hyakume's eyeball doesn't seem to have any footage past this point...

Zen: What the heck are those arrow shapes?Zen: Just what sort of technique is that?

Rikuo: ...Ao and Kuro will definitely come back.Rikuo: I believe in them.Tsurara: Rikuo-sama...

Rikuo: I left the Hyakki Yako of Chuubu in their hands.Rikuo: Have faith in the Nura Clan's special attack squad captains!!

Rikuo: Because we're going to move out in order to storm the Aoi Spiral Castle!

Ao: Graaah! What a pain in the ass!!

[p003]

Kuro: This is a technique that someone like you, who is lacking in intelligence, cannot comprehend... follow me.Kuro: This is a direction which must be avoided... a technique whereby you die if you go straight ahead!

Ao: Shut up!! What the hell about this is [ katatagae ]!!(Katatagae = a practice of changing one's travel methods to avoid unlucky directions. It was rather common among Heian-era nobles.)Ao: I'm going ahead!!

Kuro: You idiot!! Don't take area-of-effect techniques so lightly!!Ao: Like I care about that!!

Kuro: Ao you idioooot!Ao: ORYAAAAAAAA!!

Ao: Here we go, Kurooo!!Kuro: No helping it, I'll clean up after you.

[p004]

???: Rikuo-sama~ you have visitors in the entraceway~

Rikuo: Ehh?!Rikuo: Have Ao and Kuro... returned?!

Kiyo: We ended up coming by.Rikuo: Kiyotsugu-kun?! And on top of that, everyone else...!!

Torii: Uoooh~Maki: S-so this is the Nura family's main house, huh~

Rikuo: D...did something happen?Rikuo: For everyone to come together like this...

[p005]

Kiyo: No, didn't you see the news!!Kiyo: What was that cloud? It was as if it ripped open the sky and giant snakes poured out!!Kiyo: Like I thought, it has something to do with your battle, doesn't it?Rikuo: Ahh... so that's what it seemed like...

Maki: ...hm? Huh? Why is Yura-chan at Nura's house?Torii: Now that I think about it...Torii: Could this possibly be the prohibited love between an onmyoji and a yokai?Tsurara: E-EHHHH?!(sfx in center of bubble) SHOCKTsurara: I-i-i-is that true?!Tsurara: Just what happened in Kyushu?!Yura: What's with you!!Yura: You know exactly what happened, don't you!!

[p007]

Maki: Uwah! That hot guy's head is floating!!Kubi: Eh?(above Maki) Should we leave now...?(Torii sfx) Crowding

Kiyo: When I got home yesterday, I investigated all sorts of things...Kiyo: I brought this over, thinking it could be useful somehow.

Kiyo: I pursued... what happened after that, with the rumors Encho had spread.Paper:Kiyotsugu-kun'sEncho ReportVol. 1

Kiyo: The rumor about a messiah's revival has been steadily spreading.Kiyo: I'm sure that this... is talking about Seimei, who you're going to battle.

Rikuo: This is amazing... thank you.Rikuo: For you to go this far for me...

Kiyo: Eh? Well, I mean,Kiyo: My messiah is... the "lord" of darkness, so... I want the world to get it right.

[p008]

Maki: Ummm, question.Maki: That Seimei person... isn't he a [ good guy ]?

Kiyo: Eh...?Maki: I mean... that's how he is in movies and novels and stuff, and there are even shrines to him, right?(top shrine label) In Osaka(bottom shrine label) and KyotoMaki: We think about it the way we do because we've got Nura here, but normally Seimei is a hero, right?奴良がいるからうちらはアレだけどフツーは晴明が正義の味方っしょ?(small text) Am I wrong?

Yura: Well...Yura: I thought like that at first, too.

Yura: But he isn't a good guy at all... basically, once he rules as sovereign, then he'll become a good guy.???: Huh?Yura: [ Might makes right. ] ...that's what it's been called historically.

(left of Maki) Woah.

Yura: People don't know... that during the Heian era, he used the standpoint of protecting the [ country ],Yura: and acted as an existence who manipulated society from the shadows.

[p009]

Yura: After Seimei's death-- his descendents, the Gokadoin House, have protected the country... but it was never for the likes of [ the shogun ] or [ those in power ].Yura: It's because this was the [ holy ground ] where Seimei would ultimately return.

Yura: A sacred place for the sake of his speedy return to sovereignty....Yura: Right now, when Seimei returns there, it won't matter what stands in his way-- just like in the Heian era, he will take the throne of darkness for his own...

Maki (small text): Woaah.Yura: That's why the Gokadoin House must cleanse the country of interfering yokai, without hesitation.Yura: The Gokadoin exist solely for Seimei's sake.

Ryuuji: Hrm?Kiyo: Here!!Kiyo: If you could, would you read this over for me?!(below bubble) It's what I researched!!

(Kiyo): U...uwaaaa....(Kiyo): What an incredible aura...(Kiyo): I might be killed...

[p012]

Ryuuji: Hmph.

Ryuuji: Encho's after-effects, huh...Ryuuji: I'll borrow this for a bit...

Kiyo: O-okay!!

Kiyo: How nice~ He's really a good guy, huh~ Keikain-san~(right of Kiyo) Wooow, I was so nervous~Kiyo: He's the real deal!! He gives off an aura that practically screams "real deal"~

Yura: Ehhh... his character isn't really anything that impressive...別に会って感動するような人物ちゃうで(left of Yura) No way, no way.Kiyo: No, no, you're desensitized to it, Keikain-san.

Yura: You think so? ...well, whatever.(Yura): He talks about having no real talent, but...(Yura): Even so... he's someone who prepares in advance with knowledge and experience...Yura: Don't wear geta indoors.

[p013]

Masa: Ryuuji...Ryuuji: Let's continue... so we can locate the entrance to the Aoi Spiral Castle even one second sooner.

Masa: The ruins of Aoi Castle are generally open to the public, and people can enter them even now.Masa: I went to have a look, but what bothered me was the heptagram engraved on some of the stone walls... I couldn't see the likes of a castle in the sky anywhere.

Ryuuji: But there is definitely a barrier there...

Ryuuji: That bastard Tenkai... has issued us a challenge!!Ryuuji: One saying "Can you remove it? You Keikain who cannot see my spiral castle."

Ryuuji: ...Well. I know this is no easy task...

Akifusa: Oi, oi, isn't the 13th's barrier even more incredible?Ryuuji: Yeah... the 13th was a genius.Ryuuji: But Tenkai made something like this without relying on natural talent.

[p014]

Ryuuji: Look... Tenkai's barrier is on a huge scale, isn't it? It extends throughout the entirety of Japan.Ryuuji: Aoi Castle being at the spiral's center is just like Mt. Sumeru being at the center of the world... there's even an aesthetic element to it.(Sumeru is the name of the central world-mountain in Buddhist cosmology.)

Ryuuji: Y'know, a barrier... isn't about talent, but is something you think up and create.

Ryuuji: It's influenced by inspiration, ideas and a mass of knowledge.

Ryuuji: Shikigami are definitely flashy, but I admire guys who history remembers like this.Ryuuji: This spiral seal is what I like the most.

Akifusa: Ryuuji...

Ryuuji: Someday, I want to make Ryuuji: a barrier like this, too.

[p015]

(Ryuuji): He couldn't possibly have created a castle that rises into the sky...(Ryuuji): What a crowning achievement.なんとはるかな頂だ(Ryuuji): Tenkai...

(Ryuuji): Can I surpass Tenkai?(Ryuuji): Someone like me...

(Ryuuji): No.(Ryuuji): I absolutely... must surpass him!!

Torii: ...Ahh...Torii: Like I thought... you really were someone from this household...

Kana: You've reallyKana: become the commander... of those sorts of people.

(Kana): Rikuo-kun.

Rikuo: Have faithRikuo: in my Hyakki Yako, and wait!(Kana) You've really become(Kana) A great person...

Masa: Ryuuji...

Ryuuji: I don't know if we'll succeed, but...Ryuuji: Our plan is complete... let's go.(right of bubble) Now, to the Aoi Spiral Castle...!!(bottom) Next time, center color and the results of the 3rd popularity poll!!

----

Notes:

[page 2 ]Special attack squad captains (特攻隊長, tokkou taichou)

The kanji used here are different than those used previously, hence why I didn't translate this as "assault officers" (突撃隊長, totsugeki taichou) or "militant faction heads" (武道派筆頭, budou-ha hittou). While the first three kanji this time can mean "special attack squad", 特攻隊 (tokkoutai) can also mean "suicide squad/kamikaze unit".

[page 2-3 / 11]Jutsu (術) / Waza (技)

Both of these are frequently used to mean "technique". Basically, jutsu is a technique as in a supernatural skill (Naruto readers are likely familiar with the word), and waza is a technique as in an art or the result of physical training. The former's connotation leans more toward the supernatural/otherwordly, whereas the latter's leans toward science and physical work.